Fate Fooled Them All
by Scylandra
Summary: Picking off at the end of the showdown between Yugi and Marik, an unexpected turn of events changes the outcome of the duel. All attention turns to one soul that doesn't even know they are the key to destiny. Rated M for violence and language.
1. Chapter 1: My Turn

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A/N: I've had a roommate that reads a couple of 'fics on this site unregistered, so I kind of have the gist of how author's notes should go ^^' And as far as the story goes, I'm in the process of making a plot that isn't quite clear in this first Chapter. In that case, please be patient with me if you decide to follow along.

*ahem*

This isn't the first story I've written.  
This is the first Yu-Gi-Oh story I've written.  
This isn't talking.  
"This is."  
This isn't thinking.  
_This is.  
_This isn't about pairings.  
This will have pairings in it, though, to be sure.  
This isn't a scene skip.  
This is: === *** === *** ===  
This doesn't contain (many) English names.  
This does, however, use 'Bakura' as the spirit, 'Ryou' as the original host, 'Marik' as 'Marik', and everything _but_ 'Marik' to describe his dark personality.  
This doesn't mean I own any Yu-Gi-Oh copyrights.  
This does mean that I have a creative twist to the main story.

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**Chapter 1: My Turn**

"Pharaoh, attack me now!" It was a charming and young voice. It was the voice of a young man who was ready to turn his life around; ready to devote his life back to the Pharaoh; ready for redemption. The voice, in comparison, did not match the body it cried from.

The Pharaoh pointed a stern finger at the enemy before him. The accursed tomb keeper held a wide grin across his face as he clutched his right eye. Something.. something about that eye didn't seem to be a part of that natural crooked grimace.

The monsters on the battlefield were taken into the sky and a shrieking cry from Ra gave a mighty tremble throughout the tower. The world was quiet and ceased to take breath. Fists were clenched and sweat poured down their foreheads as the nervous audience of friends huddled about, waiting and waiting for the outcome.

The shrouding dust cleared.

=== *** === *** ===

"How nice of you to join us, Rishid." The voice was dark and foreboding. It hadn't changed at all. "I've been _dying_ to meet you. Allow me to properly introduce myself: I am _Marik_." The figure stood still and unharmed. He was missing an eye and a small area around it. A permanent scar, no doubt. An insignificant price for the prince of madness.

The young man grunted at the display of events before him. How? How could Marik fail against his darker side? "You are _not_ Marik! How _dare_ you spill that blessed name from your poisoned mouth?!" He searched; searched and searched for the remains of his master's form. Whatever what was left of Marik that he saw when he first arrived was no where to be found. "Where is he!?" It was more of a demand than a question.

The darker form chuckled in amusement. "_Oh?_ Then _who_ is this 'Marik' you speak of? _I _am the only Marik existing! Behold!-" The sun-kissed arm swung out to reveal a portal - a portal to nothing but darkness. In that darkness lied a cold body, curled up and shriveled. Rishid seemed to recognize this figure. "Master Marik!"

"Too late, fool! He is already wasting away as the darkness devours his soul! There is nothing that you can do!" Cold, so cold. His voice mirrored the seeping frost from that portal. No, this can't be. Fate had fooled them all.

Rishid fell to his knees, moist droplets forming and falling from his eyes. "This can't.. this.. this can't _be_! _How?_"

The darker self tilted his head, a motion of confusion though obviously aware of the situation, "Tears? Surely you knew that the young tomb keeper was no match for all his anger. All his _hatred, _his _passion, _his _agony_ and _pain_ that was thrust upon him? Surely you knew that he was no match for _me_."

The deceased's sister rushed towards Rishid, tears streaming her face as well. She wrapped her nervous arms around him, blending their pain and torment together in hopes to soothe their wounded hearts. "Isis, please-"

"No, Rishid! No! He's not gone!" She buried her tear-stricken face in his chest, weeping more than that all the world could muster. Rishid gentle placed his hands on her shoulders, trying to grab a hold of her, "Please, Miss Isis.. it's no use.." he wanted to finish, he really did. But something inside him choked his lungs and his head hung low. He couldn't. He couldn't bring himself to continue.

"Well, isn't that a pity. Dear sister, why won't you cheer up and watch your brother win this duel?" He snarled in a most cunning way, bearing his teeth in a half-hearted smile. He tempted her; tempted her to deny him.

"You _aren't _my brother!"

"Oh, but I am, _now_!"

The evil heart turned to Yugi, bowing down so lowly as if he wanted to kiss the floor more than to offer respect. "Thank you, Pharaoh. I'll have you know that I couldn't have fully obtained this body without your help!"

"Never! I would NEVER help you!"

"But you _have_, Pharaoh. You have." A fleshly tongue stuck out to salivate his curling lips. "Hmm? Shall we continue?"

"You will pay for this!"

"It already cost me all but one life point," he winked at the boy and then snarled at the counter that displayed the scorings. "My turn!"

A vision of Ra soared to the sky once more, and the chantings of the madman rung tightly in all of their hearts. It's war cry shivered their souls once again as the dreaded God formed from the flames. A true phoenix to behold. It wasn't long until it's slender beak unleashed a rampant torrent of fire upon the enemy before it.

=== *** === *** ===

The separated body of the young Yugi slowly disappeared into a void. His eyes were the last to vanish into the dark world. "Partner!"

"No use, Pharaoh, the boy is already accompanying my other self in the pits of hell. You should thank me now."

How.. how _could_ he? How could he _say that_? Yugi has been his partner and close friend ever since the day he solved the puzzle. _How_ could that man just say that?

He was speechless. The Pharaoh that forgotten his memories had forgotten all words. He couldn't think of a reaction; couldn't think of a solution; couldn't think of an alternate ending or a way to wake up from this _horrible_ nightmare.

"Well? I'm _waiting_. It isn't _that_ hard to thank someone for giving you the sole right to rule your own body. Don't you find it more suiting?" He pulled out the stiletto hidden in the rod and ran it across his exposed arm. "It's a whole, new _feeling_. This _feeling_ is so different - so _new_." That dark tongue licked the crimson liquid drops that ran over his toned muscles. Something about himself got him so wonderfully _off_. "Don't you think?"

No. No, Pharaoh felt nothing like that. There was an acute pain throbbing at his head - he could pin out exactly were it was coming from; exactly each beat of it's pulse; and exactly when it started - as soon as his partner was gone. No, this didn't feel right at all! "BRING HIM _BACK_!!" he yelled, shattering the sustained tears in Anzu's eyes. It was the proof she needed to know that Yugi was truly, truly gone. She pulled her hands away from her red eyes and buried her face in one of Jounouchi's shoulders - Shizuka already hugging tight to his other arm.

Yugi was always there for her. He believed. He _believed_ in the heart of the cards. He was the one that believed he could help save the Pharaoh's memories. And now... now the flames of the card he sought for the hardest smothered and caressed the Pharaoh and sent his partner to hell without him. No, this was wrong - all wrong!

"Do it! BRING HIM BACK!"

The Pharaoh's voice sung a pretty melody to her. It was almost like he gathered enough hope to say those words and encourage her. "Yes," she chimed, pushing back the tears, "bring Yugi back!"

"I'm afraid I can't do that."

"LIES!" she screamed, "LIES! You're the _king_ _devil_ to the shadow realms - bring Yugi back!!"

He chuckled, and ignored her. The darkness that followed him towards the Pharaoh clung to the trail of his cape and played in and around the tears. He was a playground for the shadows; and, oh, how they played him. "Now, _Pharaoh_, you owe me a card-- ACTUALLY!" He screamed it with excitement, grabbing the duel disk strapped around his arm and pulling it off with ease. His dreaded laugh echoed in the shadows that haven't yet left the top of the tower.

Was it not over?

No, no it wasn't.

He thumbed through Yugi's cards and pulled out two - the only two that ever mattered to him. For that madman, it was his rightful reward for defeating his enemy - despite the rules. Besides, the officials were no where to be found. The law had abandoned them. The remaining cards held no interest to him whatsoever. "Meh," and he tossed the cards behind his back, letting them scatter and fall around him, "Not a damn one. You're nothing without your Gods, Pharaoh." His leering eyes carefully peered to his peripheral vision, catching a glimpse of the man that _kept on_ getting in his way.

"Rishid, faithful servant, I believe it's your turn." He lightly flashed away from their mortal eyes and then reappeared before the faithful servant. "You don't know how long I've waited for this.."

Isis blinked a few times, unable to see past Rishid's protective shoulders. But.. she could tell something was wrong with this new and _sudden_ presence.

"NO!"

But it was too late. By the time Isis had screamed her wish, the blade had already plunged into his heart from his back. Rishid grunted a bit and spat out the extra blood in his mouth. "No..." she whimpered, watching the color fade from his eyes. He slumped back over his beloved half sister, protectively embracing her 'til his death. His weight nearly crushed her, but the dark lord pulled her up and away from the dead man by her arm. "Sister, do not touch him."

She tried to throw his grip off her arm with a sharp struggle, but he threw her violently down first. "Pff. You're not even worth it." He spat at the ground before her.

Isis was horrified. The darkness that resided in her brother's body had fully engulfed it. It was a position she wasn't yet used to - and here it was, throwing her down like a rag doll and spitting before her like she was nothing but trash. Unwanted. She had never felt so unwanted. Isis watched Rishid's body collapse to the floor without her body bridging the gap. Something swelling inside her beckoned her to help him - if there was any help left for the corpse.

By that time, Anzu had rushed up to help Isis. Her fierce eyes pierced even the shadows now. She seemed more lively - or perhaps it was just denial. As the man turned to walk away, he peered behind his shoulders to see the two girls struggling to get on their feet. "Do not help her!" he raged at Anzu and commanded the force surrounding her to carry the girl to the wall. She was forcefully thrown against it, struggling to fight against the powers of the Millennium Rod. "I won't.. let you... hurt them.. any.. more."

"Keh, keh, keh. _Oh?_ And who will save _you_, my pretty?" Anzu felt her muscles tighten as her bones were forced to push against the wall behind her. Every inch of her being felt like it was going to snap before it would break through the thick layers of stone.

At that moment, Ryuuj, Honda, and Jounouchi hurried to aid her, but were stopped by _her._ Isis placed her body in front of them, her arms stretched out wide. "Please!" she cried, "_Please_, don't hurt him! I just _know_ that something can be done to save him!"

"And what about Yugi, huh?!" Jounouchi placed a firm hand on her shoulder and pushed her aside. He wasn't ready to risk Anzu's life just because a madwoman still held hope for her lost brother. "Can _he_ still be saved?!"

Isis stumbled a bit before catching herself. Tears shattered against the cold floor as she bent over in despair. A few gasps and sobs escaped her fragile lips and she murmured to them, "I'm.. I'm sorry."

He seemed to enjoy this. A lot. Seeing the sister that wasn't his fight off his attackers sent a nice chill up his spine. He liked it. "I might have found some use of you after all, sister."

The words bit into her like a snake's venom. It was something that she really didn't want to hear. "Bakura!" he screamed at them, though his attention set on crushing Anzu into the wall, "Where is he? Where is that little runt?"

Her lungs were beginning to collapse. Even if she knew where he was, _specifically_, she wouldn't be able to tell him. Besides.. didn't Marik tell them earlier that the Millennium Ring was his trophy for defeating their friend?

There was suddenly a soft feeling drawing closer to her. Some kind of warm embrace of light. "Yu.. Yugi?"

He frowned at her response, and then looked at the crowd forming. His eyes darted from the trio to where Kaiba and his younger brother used to stand. Perhaps they have fled. Those violet pupils peered back around and saw little Shizuka quivering in fear without the close protection of her brother. He could tell that she wanted to be near Jounouchi again, but dared not to get any closer to the dark prince. He snorted, "_Well_? Does _anyone_ know where he is?" He walked closer to Anzu and a sinister tongue reappeared, catching them off guard. He licked the cold sweat that was forming around her neck. "Hurry. By the tastes of it, she is just now seeing the light."

All of their muscles tightened at once, moving them only an inch closer towards him. "Come, come; don't be shy," he teased.

They all hesitated until Honda spoke up. "What are you _talking_ about? If anyone knows where he is, _it's you_!"

"Heh." How could he explain to them that he was looking for the Thief King? He sensed that presence within the boy escape his -and his god's- wrath when he defeated him in that shadow game.

He looked back at the battlefield, where he defeated Yugi only minutes ago. The Pharaoh stood in a silent disbelief - shell-shocked and paralyzed. It puzzled him that threatening Anzu's life didn't pull the Pharaoh back into reality. But.. he wouldn't have to worry about him. And now..

He pushed her harder than ever into the wall. It cracked a bit as Anzu's body was shoved strongly against her will. "Yu.. Yu..gi!"

...Now he wouldn't worry about _her_, _either_. He watched delightfully as her bones broke through her skin and carried the warm liquids with it. And, even in some places, the blood splattered against the stone wall. "She's a rather decent painter, eh?" he smiled viciously while turning to her friends. Their eyes were paralyzed with fear - the pupils shrank and hid beneath the iris's. "Keh, keh, keh. Well, in any case, I'll be leaving, now."

"You... you _monster_!" Jounouchi shouted as he threw a hasty fist at the dark personality. He caught the hand with the blade of his rod, slicing clean through muscle and bone with his strength. The remaining two watched in horror as Jounouchi's hands flopped to the ground and spilled it's containments. Shizuka ran quickly to her brother, her hands folding over his frantically in a panic as she tried to soothe the pain. "Hmph. You won't survive me _twice, _Little Jounouchi."

"WARNING" a robotic, female voice interrupted them. Her voice chimed from speakers unseen as she continued, "SELF-DESTRUCTION ACTIVATED. REPEAT: SELF-DESTRUCT WILL OCCUR IN T-MINUS TWO HOURS. WARNING-"

She droned on in the background of their minds, constantly reminding them that, apparently, the tower could and _would_ self-destruct.

"Kaiba! This is Kaiba's doing!" Honda assured.  
"I can't believe that little prick is going to blow everything up - at a time like this!"

The prince scoffed, unaffected by these plans. "Let's play a game.." he mused.

"Oh no you don't!" Jounouchi winced, clutching the edge of his wrist tightly. Shizuka had already torn a large piece around her shirt to wrap the bloody nub. "Onii-chan! Stop! You'll only hurt yourself!"

"That's right, little Jounouchi", the twisted man hissed, "You better listen to your sister." As soon as he said 'sister', he turned toward his. "Come, Isis, come and stand faithfully by your brother."

She hesitated at first, slightly convinced that being anywhere _near_ him would only put her into further danger. But.. how could she deny him?  
"Come, come, you only have two hours."

She sensed the venom in his words and the steady pace of the robotic woman's reminder. Yes, she would be with him. He was actually her only hope to stay alive. Really? Was that _really_ what she wanted? Isis had already seen her true brother locked away in the realm of never-ending darkness, and this darker side of him was..

That was it! It was his _dark side_. Still him, though, right? She clutched tightly and blindly against his back. His back.. some kind of smooth curve that followed underneath his tight shirt. Isis lightly traced her fingers where she had his tattoo memorized. Yes.. it was there. This was his body. But.. how? How would that explain what she saw in the shadow realm? He wasn't like Yugi and her Pharaoh - no, this Marik was once a part of _her_ Marik. A piece of the puzzle - a link of the chain. He was an evil soul, she could feel, but it was all that was left of her beloved brother.

Isis nestled her head against him.

A wicked grin spread quickly across his face once again. "_Sister.._" he cooed.

"ONE HOUR AND FIFTY-FIVE MINUTES UNTIL SELF-DESTRUCT."

"Hmph. Come, follow me." He flicked his cape over his shoulder and it quickly dissolved into darkness. Isis was the first to be engulfed in this backward motion, and soon it wrapped it's way back around the prince and they disappeared.

"Wha-!"  
"Where!?"

"Where did they go!?"

Jounouchi and Shizuka sat down against the wall away from Anzu's fallen corpse. They both carefully tended his wrist with what little precision they could afford. Honda and Ryuuj raced up to the Pharaoh, who was slumped over and face beaten red. "Oy! Get up!"

He looked over his shoulder at them, his eyes showing small glimpses of the overwhelming pain in his heart.


	2. Chapter 2: Flight

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A/N: Funny, how I've had a lot of people -on and off the internet- tell me that they want to know what and why Kaiba ran off. Intentionally, I planned on this section of the story to be published later on, but it also can fit right here and provide (hopefully) a good transition for the next and up-coming chapter. It doesn't explain everything that's going on, so it's OK to feel confused. And, even if you catch on to the hints, I'll warn you now that I don't even _like_ Kaiba. D: Prepare to be surprised, much later!

Yeah, this isn't a one-shot. :)

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**Chapter 2: Flight**

WARNING, SELF-DESTRUCTION ACTIVATED. REPEAT-"

"Seto!"

Kaiba turned away from the keyboards without that strong-will luster in his eyes. To Mokuba's surprise, a duel disk was firmly locked on his brother's arm.

"..Seto.." his brother called again, recognizing the emotion.

"This is it, Mokuba. There's nothing else that I can do." He always had a certain charm that rang from his voice - like he knew he was the top shit. Kaiba always thought so highly of himself and his success, but now things were different. He was on his own turf - he had that much to his advantage - but even still he knew his odds were slim.

"You don't have to do this! We can leave and prepare a transport for everyone else and-"

"No. No, this is how it has to be. I only have two hours."

"Seto.."

"If I'm not back before the first hour is up, go ahead and leave. Don't risk you're life, too.

"..."

He adjusted his collar, feeling the fabric tighten around and choking his neck. It was very uncomfortable. He walked closer to his brother, kneeling down to look eye-to-eye with him at a more intimate level. "I'm sorry. There's no way I can let them be picked off one by one. Whatever took over Marik is going to destroy everything around it. I don't.. I don't want to see the day that he gets to you. You understand, Mokuba? You understand?!"

He lost his cool. Finally. His brother stood coldly before him, not knowing how to handle the breakdown. "Why.. why don't you come with me?" He looked up and away from the single tear that fell past Kaiba's bangs. "Right now - let's go! C'mon Seto!" He grabbed one of Kaiba's cold hands and tugged on it a bit. When he notice his efforts were fruitless, Mokuba dropped the hand, staring wildly at the young man.

Silence. The silence was becoming thick as the red strobe lights lit up the room. Mokuba was all-too familiar with the evacuation tests to care for the reminder. Questions raced through his mind about the stranger that was before him. Tears flooded his bright eyes as the blood rushed to his face. "SETO! WHY?!"

".. Mokuba.. please. You have to understand."

"No! No I don't! There's nothing to understand about putting your life out there! Out there for them! Who's to say that that thing hasn't murdered them already?!" Furious tears fell off the kid's face as he grabbed Kaiba by the shoulders and tried to violently shake him. "We're ditching the island - isn't that enough? Seto? SETO! Are you listening to me?!"

"I have to be sure, Mokuba. I have to be sure that he's stopped. The self-destruction is just in case I fail."

Mokuba watched as his brother stood up, cough once, and walk back to the controls of the main computer. He watched those strong fingers type wildly at the keys, punching in orders to be received on the manual override. He watched as his dark hair began to fall in front of his tear-ridden eyes, one by one, until he couldn't see past the thick gathering. His head hung low and he desperately tried to hold back the floodgates.

The silence resumed its hold on them, but only for a moment.

Kaiba sighed and swallowed his pride. "Guess there's no way around this one. I'll just have to tell him what he wants to hear. I'm sorry, Mokuba." His hand skimmed over the cool metal of his duel disk. It came to a halt to rest over the center - which, in any other case, would have meant surrender.

"Nevermind, Mokuba. Prepare a transport. Only one. Disable everything else - boats, planes, anything. We're not letting that creature get off this island, understood?"

"Y-yes, Seto."

"Good. Fire up the engines; we're in the sky within an hour."

A confident smile quickly resumed it's place on the boy's face. "Yes, Seto!"

Kaiba watched his little brother's reflection run off to the aerial garage from the monitor's screen. He momentarily stopped to grasp the locket around his neck. Fiddling with the hinge, knowing where it was without having to look down, he stared blankly at the screen. Until now, he almost considered shortening the life span of the island by another hour.

He let the locket fall back to his chest as he deeply inhaled. Technically, he wasn't lying. One hour was rather a short time to challenge three Gods, but he had to take that chance. The horrifying image of Ra's last attack was permanently burned into his mind. In the midst of Yugi's attempt to scramble up a suitable -though not lasting- defense, Kaiba had enough time to drag Mokuba away from the final scene. It was foolish of him to think that he saved his little brother's innocence.. even Mokuba could tell that Yugi was as good as dead.

But, a momentarily burst of courage was beginning to lift Kaiba's spirit. "I swear, Yugi, I'll find you and bring you back. I'm not finished with you, yet." With his back turned to the monitor, Kaiba activated his duel disk once again. "Sorry, Mokuba. Don't wait up for me."

=== *** === *** ===

He returned within ten minutes, panting out of breath and a little excited. "All set, bro'!" He flung his dark hair from his eyes, tracing an invisible outline of where he figured Seto would be standing. "Seto?"

=== *** === *** ===

Kaiba ran down the corridors, knowing exactly when and where to turn. Occasionally, he would jump in an elevator and ride it a couple of stories before running back into the maze of hallways. After seeing the schematics of the tower dozens of times, he had it memorized and knew it like the back of his hand. It was a challenge of coming from the pits of the basement -where he had entire control of every electronic function within the tower- to pass through all the lockdowns and forceful emergency exits. The place was rigged to point to one place on such an occasion: the exit. Unfortunately, that was the complete opposite of his goal. He wasn't running away, no, he was charging right into battle.

=== *** === *** ===

Mokuba quickly logged into the security cameras to see what happened to his brother. The entry logs, after being rewound, suggested that in the midst of his work, Kaiba paused, turned away, and then left the room. Mokuba focused and turned up the volume from Kaiba's lean figure. He played back the words, over and over again, letting it sink in. To his horror, Kaiba was going to go back to the top of the tower.

There was no changing Kaiba's mind. He would've liked to think that, deep down, Kaiba really did put his life first, before his friends. To his dismay, it obviously wasn't the case. The dark room was quiet once again, leaving the little boy to wonder quietly to himself. He didn't know if he should feel abandoned or thankful for all that Kaiba did for him. The tape looped again and again as the boy slammed his elbows on the counter and clenched his hair tightly. "You're not a savior, Seto! He'll just kill you, too.." He felt like collapsing and shriveling up on the floor. Yes, he wanted to disappear. He wanted to fade away and then wake up from this nightmare with Seto at his side. His muscles fell limp as he swayed over the counter before sitting down and sniffling on the floor. He felt confused, cold, and alone.

"I swear, Yugi, I'll find you and bring you back. I'm not finished with you, yet. ...Sorry, Mokuba. Don't wait up for me."


	3. Chapter 3: Prediction

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A/N: Right, so here we are with what wasn't really meant to be a chapter. In fact, you'll find this snippet to be quite on the short side. Sorry if you were looking for more, but this is important and there's not much more to it than what's already written. I figure it's understandable :)

Without further adieu..

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**Chapter 3: Prediction**

"It's over."

"What are you talkin' about? What do you mean 'it's over'?"

He looked back down with his bottom lip slightly hung, the cold and stale air easing it's way into his lungs. A speedy heart pump blood fast and the Pharaoh's throat ran coarse. "He's gone. Partner... he's gone. I can no longer feel... no longer feel his presence."

A lone tear slid slowly down his cheek until it was too small for gravity to maintain it's hold on it. The Pharaoh sighed, lost in his thoughts.

"What should we do?"

"Why would he look for Bakura? Isn't he in the Shadow Realm or somethin'?"

"I thought so..."

"Poor Anzu.."

The words were all meaningless. The voices held little value to him as well. "You're all going to die," he said dryly. They all stopped and looked at him, slightly bewildered but more so disturbed.

Silence fell upon them.

"Die?"

"We are going to die? What do you mean we're going to die?!"

"How can you say that?"

"..Anzu..."

The words kept trotting around his ears, but none entered nor caught his attention. He continued anyway, his words chilling them to the core. "He'll want to kill you. He would have already killed me if it were simple. But no."

"You mean," Shizuka started, her voice near a whimper, "he wants to make you suffer?"

He nodded, his frail spine lightly popping from the sudden movement of his statue-like presence. Still, he sat on the cold floor afraid that, without his partner, he couldn't even stand. He made a small effort to lift himself up, but lost the willpower to do so. As he saw his friends rush to him, his heart broke and made a twisted knot in his chest. Breathing suddenly became harder to do, and the faded sight of Anzu's bleeding corpse behind the gang forced another tear.

Honda and Ryuuj lifted him up on their shoulders as Shizuka and Jounouchi cradled each other beside them. In one instant, the Pharaoh's breath ceased, and his heart raced to fix the problem. "Oy, what's wrong, pal?"

He clutched his chest tightly and pressed the tips of his fingers into his skin, hoping that the jolt of self-caused pain would remind him how to breathe again..

But the knot he felt in his chest grew to a tightening pain; like something strangling the heart.

A heavy gasp helped them realize the problem, and all fell somber. "I couldn't.. at first there was.. but then I.." The heavy breaths came easy to him and his head was filled with more oxygen than he could desire. A slight headache throbbed and bothered his eyes, forcing him to cover them from the beams of lights hooked around the ceiling.

As if they knew and understood his distress, all nodded and became a bit more relaxed. He shook his head to himself. _They would never understand._ His hands fell from his facing, sometimes pulling on the skin and distorting his initial expression of sorrow. "Geez, pal, don't give us anymore reason to worry about you!" The Pharaoh looked across to see the young blonde grinning with his sister beside him. His eyes traced down his bloodied arm to see the bandaged nub carefully cared for by Shizuka. That reminded him of Anzu, somehow. Yes, that was why - Anzu would have done the same thing for him. He was probably the one that she cared for the most - and that bastard killed her. She was slaughtered and he didn't bother to lift a finger. He was too concerned with his partner that was long gone to even notice that he already lost another friend. Never before had he felt so helpless.

He looked back up to Jounouchi - back to his eyes and left the helpful grips of Honda and Ryuuj. "Don't leave me. Please."


	4. Chapter 4: Consumed

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A/N: So I'm finally catching back up to the main story. I know I left Kaiba's quest hanging high and dry on a dull cliffhanger, but I intend to pick that up next. _Promise_. I suppose it's about time to explain what I plan to do with Bakura and Ryou. Another quick reminder: Ryou is the "good Bakura" and Bakura is.. well, the "evil spirit" thing. Just.. so no one gets confused as I so _easily_ confuse myself while writing.

This was actually fun to write, though try not to think of me as.. oh, what's the word? Emo? Describing 'eternal darkness' isn't exactly my cup of tea, but it was sure enjoyable. Hopefully it is fun to read as it is to write!

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**Chapter 4: Consumed**

The darkness was chilling. The cold and stiff air felt rigid against his exposed skin. Without realizing it, Ryou rubbed his arm and felt the pricks of his dry skin. _"Where am I?"_

"Don't worry, you're with _me_."

_"Who? Who's there?"_

The silence offered no sense of comfort. It was as if he was all alone in the darkness. That was it. It was playing with him. It was teasing and twisting him to gain the pleasure from his pain.

A light jolt shocked through his spine and sent waves throughout his body. "Get up," he heard the voice say. Wait.. that was familiar. Could it be-?

"If you can't even stand, how do you expect us to get out of here? I said GET UP."

Ryou opened his eyes, peering through the thick clumps of fog that swirled around him. Just like he imagined it - he was alone. Unfortunately, he was also naked. Cold, alone, and naked - great. His frail limbs were wrapped around his body, almost willed to comfort him. He unfolded himself gently and attempted to stand in mid-air. Indeed, it was possible, though he wasn't sure how. "Good. You still have some life to you, host."

Ryou's eyes fluttered wildly to bat away the darkness. Each pupil strained to see beyond the endless pitch of black. "There's no use," the voice said, "you're in a world where there is no light. Welcome to the Shadow Realm."

"W-who are you? You're the spirit that haunts me, aren't you?"

"That is _slightly_ correct. Who's to say that you aren't the one haunting _me_?"

"Wait, what?"

"You heard me. Honestly, why would I want to haunt you?"

"I.. I don't know."

"Hmph." Ryou felt a twinge of pain in his chest. Blindly, he clutched it, unsure of the cause. "You don't know anything."

He bowed his head in the darkness, ashamed and feeling a bit out of place. "Why am I here?"

"Oh, ho! That's right! You don't remember a thing."

"Remember what?"

"You see.. it proves my point. How _is it_ that whenever I do something in that body you're in, you don't remember?"

"I don't kn-"

"And _how is it_ that whenever you do something in that body, that I _do _remember?"

"I'm not su-"

"I think you've got it all wrong. That's _my_ body you're in."

The pain was intensifying with each insult spat at him. How could it not be his body? But then again, who's to say who or what was talking to him?

"You're lying!"

"Of course I'm not lying. I'm stating _facts._ I know _more_ than you. You just happened to be the one wearing the shoes.. that does not mean that those are neccessarily your shoes."

The boy looked down towards his feet as if to look, but realized that there was nothing but where feet _should_ be. He tried to feel with his hands where his feet were, but there was simply _nothing there_. Ryou held still a bit longer, waiting for the feeling to come back to his feet, or his legs or whole body, for that matter. Nothing. He felt nor saw nothing. It was all just darkness.

The voice didn't breathe. Ryou listened for the sign of life, but there was no answer. "Who are you?!" He was growing aggitated with this game. It was torture. This was nothing like the hell that everyone brought up the Shadow Realm to be. But, then again, it was all almost too painful to bear - without any inflictions upon him. Odd that he would find his end here. "Why won't you answer me?!"

"Simple, host. I don't _have_ to. We are _two seperate_ beings. As of now, I am just an entity to you. You can not possibly consider me as a person. But.."

"But?"

"What if I were to remind you that.. _I_ am the person.. and you are the lone entity?"

"_What_?"

"Think about it!", the voice grew with excitement, almost relishing in the nothingness that surrounded the scared child, "You have no body. It was mine, all along. I control it as I please, and allow you to linger and gain your own fair share of experience."

"N-no.."

"And that's not all! What if I told you that nothing is _real_? That.. THIS WORLD, is the REALITY?!"

"No... no, that's not true.."

"OH, but it _is_."

He calmed down then, hissing in the strange darkness that Ryou couldn't seem to escape from. All feeling and senses were gone. Even his hearing was becoming nothing more than a steady, high-pitched, ring. _"Then, who am I? Where do I belong?"_

"Here, dear host. And from now on, you'll be my host no longer!"

The darkness, though seemingly impossible, was growing darker and stronger. Ryou felt his every essence being consumed in this cold realm. Terror no longer struck him, as he felt nearly at an odd peace. He could no longer hear that strange voice; no longer be concerned with it's blabbering; no longer wrestling for control.

_"Who.. who are you?"_

A figure stepped out of a weak portal attached to the kitchen's wall. Emerging from the darkness that was spilling and oozing out of the foreign realm was a lean figure. With one foot out, a dignified sort of evil opened his light eyes and brushed the thin strands of white hair out of his face. A dashing glare quickly spotted the door that would take him into the familiar hallway of the blimp. "Why, I'm _Bakura_."


	5. Chapter 5: Rogue

A/N: Wow, it's been a while. Clearly I've taken a good break from posting and hanging around on fanfiction. BUT- I've slowly progressed in the story and saved files over a long course of time on my laptop. Tonight, for some reason, has motivated me enough to post the updates. Prepare to be bombarded :)

BY THE WAY - after catching up on the manga and finally seeing all of the anime to understand the difference in naming conventions, I've resented 4kids for changing the original character names. Thus, I try to stick with the Japanese names. Unfortunately, I messed up. A lot, actually. Isis, from here on out, is Ishizu. I had my names backwards and will eventually go back to previous chapters and correct mistakes. Sorry about this and that.

* * *

**Chapter 5: Rogue**

He charged down the sharp and narrow corridors. There wasn't much of a long shot, but the CEO knew well enough how to make short-distance sprints. The whole time his mind was focused on his beloved sibling; his heart was set on freeing him from the upcoming nightmare. He reached the final elevator, not nearly as breathless as he thought to be, waiting patiently for the bell to toll.

Kaiba exited into the small chamber and the current scenario was revealed to him. His sharp eyes glanced from Anzu to Jounouchi to Shizuka, then to the Pharaoh. "Let me guess.. Yugi is gone, isn't he?"

A daring nod confirmed his fear, and the tall figure sighed. "As I thought. Well? What do you saps plan on doing?"

"Excuse _me_, pal, but don't you think now's not the time to be such a dick?"

"Jounouchi," his stone gaze passed over the blond once again, "don't test me. I need to know if the psycho made away with the cards."

"Cards?" It was a curious perk that was set off at the sudden change of subject, rather than lack of knowledge of the situation in question.

"The _god cards_, dumbass. Did he make off with the god ca-"

"Yes," Shizuka's voice intercepted his, a calm and serene sound floated from her lips and nearly soothed his rage, "he didn't forget."

"Ah, so the monster made off with his prize. Enough of this; I'm going after him."

"Kaiba!" They all said in unison, unaware of the common sense of panic.

The Pharaoh put out his arm, as if to silence them or to restrain them from further noise, "Let him be. Kaiba," he turned to his attention, "he has all three cards. At most, you're looking for a death wish. There's no doubt that he'll use another shadow game - any attempt to thwart him and you're joining my partner."

"I know."

"Fine. So be it." He turned to the others, all swallowing the dry lump knotting in their throats. "But.. he mentioned Ryou, I think."

"So?"

"So, do you know anything about it? Ryou was sent to the Shadow Realm when he challenged Marik, as far as we know, and is lost to us. Why would he be looking fo-"

"Beats me, and I honestly don't care. If the little runt is gone, then he's gone."

"You don't care the _least bit_ that he's looking for someone that _he_ sent away? Doesn't that seem.. _odd_?"

"No."

"No?"

"And I'll say it again, I don't care. If you losers will excuse me, I'm going to go challenge him now."

"You mean challenge _death_."

"It appears so, doesn't it?"

With that, Kaiba turned away and walked back towards the elevator. "Wait.."

He peered back over his shoulder, now putting together the missing pieces, "He's looking for _Ryou_, you say?"

A hesitant nod confirmed it.

"Hmm.. if Ryou wasn't already dead, then he'd still be on the.."

!


	6. Chapter 6: Lifeline

A/N: I don't have one :D Yay!

* * *

**Chapter 6: Lifeline**

A dark figure crept from the shadows of the poorly lit corridor. Destruction was all that was left from its path. A circling fog of blackness followed him; engulfed him; fed him; pleasured him. The delusional sister followed obediently, lightly clinging to his shoulder as to not get lost in the ever-growing darkness. A soft smile spread across his angular face, "Keh heh heh, _found you_."

He stood facing a light-haired figure, who apparently had his back towards the prince. Silence welcomed itself upon the two, and held them in it's icy grip. Until..

"No, I believe _I_ have found _you_, scum."

He and his sister turned around to see Seto Kaiba standing rather proudly in the middle of the hall behind them. "W-what is this?" It was almost as if he was taken aback by the sudden appearance of the CEO.

"Kaiba.." Ishizu said softly under her breath.

"I'm here to _duel_ you, Marik!"

_Marik. _The mention of her brother's name seemed to soothe her. Ishizu loved every inch of that name, and clung even tighter to the villain that slain it. "Keh heh heh, Marik's not here right now.. but I believe you will be more than willing to answer to _me_, the _Prince of Darkness!_"

At that, he turned around to face Bakura once again, but saw that where he once stood was just a shade of emptiness. He growled at this disappearance, but turned to face his opponent. "That will cost you, Kaiba. Oh yes, it will cost you quite a fortune."

"Lucky for me that I'm a _billionaire_, eh?"

A chuckle slipped from his thin lips, "Keh, always concerned with money, aren't you? It is a worthless material to me. Money will not spare your life this time, Mr. Billionaire." At that instant, a sharp pain stung at Kaiba's chest. In less than a heartbeat, a thin, pink, cord of energy slipped from the very core of the pain. "It's time to play," he licked his dry lips playfully, "Oh, you're going to love the _sensation_ of my new toys."

He effortlessly raised the Millennium Rod above his head, and they were transported safely out of the aircraft in open grounds. After the rod finished flowing, his toned arm lowered and a small chuckle was kept quietly to himself.

Seto Kaiba scoffed as he fiddled with the holographic cord. It was obvious that it reacted to his touch – he could pick it up and certainly drop it – but he could not _feel_ it. It wasn't warm like most energy-driven things, and it wasn't cold either. It was almost like it wasn't there at all.

"I know this trick, Marik. And unfortunate for you, my willpower is _much_ stronger than Jounouchi's. If you're expecting me to faint like a little girl, you're wrong."

A hand flopped in front of his mouth; spread out and curled fingers hardly achieving their purpose to conceal. He broke out into a much louder laughter; his eyes bulging out with excitement! He licked his dry lips afterwards and calmed his gaze. "No, Seto Kaiba, I would not insult you with such a comparison." A subtle chuckle kept Kaiba from interrupting. "But I don't think I'll tell you what the catch is, either. You'll have to find out for yourself!"

Another scoff. "Heh, draw!"

Kaiba pulled out a card from his prepared disk. His trained eyes took only a couple of seconds to register the rules before placing his first trap card face down.


	7. Chapter 7: Rush

A/N: I have a dirty mouth in this chapter :x Beware. Also, I was a bit unfamiliar with the rules of the game when I wrote this.. so I avoided direct terms and.. stuff. It won't read smoothly if you know more than I do xD Which, there is a great chance that you do. Sorry. I also don't want to get too hung over the technicalities of the game.

* * *

**Chapter 7: Rush**

"Wait! What about Anzu?!" Shizuka cried, kneeling at the corpse. "Shizuka!" Jounouchi left the Pharaoh's side and ran after his sister, quickly grabbing her to turn her around and tightly embrace her in his arms. "Please.. don't look at her. This isn't how we want to remember her."

"But maybe she's still alive! Maybe there's something we can still do!" Her voice grew coarse and wild with desperation. Honda, who stood by the Pharaoh's side a couple of meters away patiently kept him company. He wanted to hold sweet Shizuka ever more. But he stood his ground, letting her brother be her saving grace. Silently, he watched their embrace, ever wishing it was him holding her in his arms. It was not all a selfish desire - no - he, too, felt the need to be comforted. This eerie day had dark shadows growing around the tower. But he wasn't the only one to notice the dark powers slowly consuming the island.

"I'll go find one of Kaiba's lackeys. There's got to be a phone around here - I'll call for help." Ryuuj said coolly, his lonely stride turning into a quick sprint as he left to go downstairs.

Jounouchi walked his little sister back to the remaining two, his gaze calm and locked with confidence. "I'm going after Kaiba."

"What?"

He looked up at the Pharaoh, watching the surprised expression slowly turn into understanding. "I know what he's going to try to do. He'll need our help." He looked over at Honda, "And there's no need in getting Yu-... the Pharaoh near that psycho-maniac again. Not until we're ready." The two of them nodded in agreement, then both turned to the Pharaoh.

"..I'm sorry I failed you," he began, a formation of tears slowly gathering in the ducts of his eyes, "I had no choice but to-"

"Look," Jounouchi interrupted, "my pal's out there and I believe there's a way to bring him back. And not just him. Bakura and Mai, too. I'm prepared to fight until the end." Shizuka gently grabbed his arm, running her hands down to the makeshift bandages and carefully studying his condition. Knowing that, no matter what warning or precaution she could say against it, she could never get him to change his mind. An inaudible sigh escaped her pale lips as they quivered "Stay safe."

=== *** === *** ===

He was toying with him. Kaiba felt the uneasy wind brush against his face as he faced the Dark One's challenge outside on the aircraft landing pad. The duel, he had come to find, as it progressed became more difficult after each turn. A lifeline was placed on a player and their rival's monsters. Each attack he called, he felt the pain. Naturally, Marik had traps riddled across the playing field and endulged in each one as Kaiba's monsters fell and made his own pain. Of course, to return the favor, the great Shadow Prince forced his own weak monsters to run into their own deaths in Kaiba's trap cards.

"Gah!!" He clutched his chest, feeling all organs and nerves on fire in such intense pain. The great Seto Kaiba wheezed as he felt the attack of his Blue Eyes as it scorched his enemies with a fearsome power. In a normal competition, the duel would have been a lot tougher without a God, much less opposing three of them. But, surprisingly, Marik had thus far been holding back on all three of his God cards. Kaiba knew it.. he knew that he was toying with him. He needed to be on the defensive.

Marik chuckled, almost confident that he was assured another victory. He yawned, daring to stick a tongue out and groan similar to a lion. "Come now, did it really hurt that bad? I nearly get beaten by blondie and you can't even last four minutes - what's wrong with you? There's something on your mind, isn't there? Go on, you can tell me! What's on your mind Kaiba?" An overly excited wicked grin lurked across his face for a minute, peering into the boy's pain and relishing in it.

"I...I h-hate you."

"Is that all.. Meh, you seem like the one to be single-minded. My turn."

"WRONG!" The new and lively voice shouted as Jounouchi ran up to them, dueldisk ready.

"You.."

"It's MY TURN! Panther Warrior - ATTACK!"

"Jounouchi, NO!"

But it was too late. Jounouchi had already placed down the card in attack mode and joined the duel. The beast was immediately summoned and attacked Newdoria.

The demon shrieked in agony, along with both Kaiba in Jounouchi, as it was destroyed. "Keh keh keh! Foolish Jounouchi! Do you not recall our duel before? Newdoria's special ability is activated once it is sent to the Graveyard! Your Panther Warrior will now die because of your carelessness!"

The fighter embraced himself for the pain to come with the death of his monster.. but it never came. He watched as Marik's body was thrown back at the force of the sudden death. "Ohh.. so we feel the bad guy's pain, huh?"

"Jounouchi, you little fuck!"

"Hey hey hey! Watch it, Kaiba."

"Your little stunt is gonna cost me this duel! What the hell are you doing here?!"

"Yeah, yeah, and now you're stuck with me to defeat the big bad wolfie - it must be _horrible_ for you."

"Just you wait, you little monkey."

"Stuff it, tightwad."

"Can it, runt."

"Screw you!"

"Fuck off!"

"Well this just got easier... My turn."


	8. Chapter 8: Sacrifice

A/N: It's fun to see Word try to tell me that I spell names wrong.

* * *

**Chapter 8: Sacrifice**

"Jounouchi, I have a plan."

"Oh?

"But I need you to leave. I think.. I can beat him. But you need to go find the Pharaoh."

"I can't just run away from a duel! A true duelist nev-"

"Jounouchi, SHUT UP." The young CEO took his gaze off the three monsters remaining – two of them were Marik's recently summoned. "The Pharaoh needs to know that I won this duel."

A scoff. "Keh, you think you'll win Seto Kaiba? My two monsters against your one dragon? Well then, here! Let me level the playing field! Drillago, slaughter your comrade, Lord Poison!"

A shrilling cry came from the lesser monster as the drills pierced it's flesh. The hologram splattered at first, then vanished into the void. Kaiba and Jounouchi screamed at the direct agony forced upon them in unison. "Keh heh heh, _now_ we're even."

"Jounouchi – go!"

The blonde nodded, clutching his chest as his very heart felt as if it were on fire. His looked at Kaiba one last time, admiring his persistence amongst this chaos. Perhaps.. if they both lived after this, he'd buy him a drink.

He fled, not even daring to look back at dark shrouds behind him.

"So, it's just you and me, Marik."

"Heh, so you think."

He sighed, looking at his Blue Eyes card and running a finger along the image of the mighty dragon. No, there'd be no second guessing himself. This was it. It was time to end Marik's chain of torture. It was time to take that pleasure away from him.

"Blue Eyes, ATTACK."

=== *** === *** ===

First, there was darkness. He opened his eyes, seeing nothing in the portal but swirls of shadows. How low he must have fallen to have lost. Wait.

That's impossible.

_How could I have lost?_

"You didn't lose, Kaiba." A faint chuckle echoed in the still air. Suddenly, the rightful prince stepped forth into his domain. Bakura, weary though just as confident, kneeled in front of Kaiba. He was laying down on his belly – "Such a coward. Do you even know what you have done?"

"I.. beat Marik, didn't I?"

"Hmph." Bakura stood up and faded away.

"Wait – Bakura! Come back!"

But it was too late.

He was beginning to wake up…

"So, Seto Kaiba, you've finally won your last duel." He ran a hand through his rival's hair as Kaiba lay still on the warm concrete. "Wait 'til the Pharaoh sees this. Your pride wouldn't let you lose, huh?"

Kaiba smiled, beaten. He knew his victory, now, was in vain. He understood it was pointless to have stood up against this guy. Still, he chuckled to himself.

"What's so funny?"

"Ha, now I know.. know that you can be beaten."

"Pheh. The taste of your sweat is alluring, Seto Kaiba. It's been a while since you've been afraid, hasn't it?" A wet tongue slid up against the CEO's cheek, making him wince at the sudden contact.

"Well… you should be."


	9. Chapter 9: Pale Breath

A/N: Yeah. I did it. You can't stop it.

* * *

**Chapter 9: Pale Breath**

Jounouchi returned, almost out of breath. He found his friends just outside the elevator on the first floor. _They've made it this far. Good._

"Oy! Did Ryuuj not find a phone?"

"He hasn't come back – we haven't heard from anyone…," Shizuka ran up to her brother and gratefully hugged him. "I was worried.. about you."

He returned her love, embracing her while trying to catch his breath. He let her go and they walked together towards the Pharaoh and Honda. "Oh yeah, Pharaoh, Kaiba wanted me to tell you that he won the duel against Marik."

A glimmer of light sparked amongst them.

"What?! How can you say that so lightly?"

"Well, I'm not sure. When I joined in, it was a pretty tough scenario."

Honda looked him in the eyes, loosing whatever hope he thought that this nightmare was over. "What do you mean, Jounouchi?"

"I.. I can't explain. And it doesn't make sense. I'd say the fight was barely halfway through when he told me to deliver the message. It was fierce! We felt the pain of Marik's monsters! So.. I'd imagine if Kaiba won, he must have…"

"Felt a lot of pain," concluded the Pharaoh. "He sacrificed himself. He wanted you to tell us that he _lost._"

"No, wait, he said he won. How could he lose?"

"That duel was a test of will. Kaiba must have realized that he wouldn't be able to endure the shadows.. that's the only explanation why he would send you instead of telling us himself."

It was silent.

Shizuka's gasps between breath and tears finally broke it.

But it was the Pharaoh who was the first to speak.

"We need to find Bakura. Wherever he is – the Shadow Realm or on this very island – Marik is looking for him. And so should we."

"Before Marik does," Honda pitched in.

"Yes."

"And Ryuuj will just have to catch up with us later."

"Can I help with that?"

They all turned to see that Kaiba was sitting on top of the information desk counter, staring straight at them.

"It's Kaiba!"

"No, that's not Kaiba! Look at his forehead."

Indeed, there was a golden eye present in the middle of his forehead. "Marik is possessing him!"

All four of them rushed at the boy.

"Grab him!"  
"Knock him out!"

"Restrain him!"

Jounouchi had already punched him square in the face, not taking the chance that the possessed Kaiba would assault any of his friends.

"Well, now what? What do we do with him?"

"Take him with us, I suppose." Honda picked up the knocked out body and slung him over his shoulders.

It seemed reasonable to them, so it didn't bother anyone. The real puzzle hit when they stepped outside. There, waiting for them, was undeniably Marik himself.

"Marik!" The Pharaoh yelled with his teeth grinding at each other. His fists were clenched with hate, now expressed more than ever. "You will pay for those you have caused pain!"

A tan hand reached up to touch the pulsating golden eye embedded on the forehead, "Is that so?" His eyes, cool and calm as ever, opened from a peaceful rest and looked straight at the Pharaoh… as if to say more.

"Wait, pal!" Jounouchi stretched out his hand in front of the Pharaoh, intent on one thing. "Let me take the risk"

Before he could reject or deny, Jounouchi already readied his duel disk and summoned his first warrior. "MARIK, you will PAY!"

Marik quickly summoned a trap card and watched as the Panther Warrior jumped back and swing a heavy sword at it. The trap, destroyed, cost Marik a couple of points, but the real damage was taken as the warrior swung again directly at him. He stepped back in recoil and clutched his face. "Ow.."

"Yeah! Take _that_, scum!"

Jounouchi, ruthless and ignorant of any rules, summoned multiple monsters at once and sent a fury against his opponent.

"Jounouchi!" The Pharaoh called out in haste. Even though there wasn't anyone to enforce the common rules –even Marik didn't precede with a shadow game setup- there was still some sense of chivalrous grounds to obey which that is not regulated.

But the young adolescent continued, fury overwhelming him and setting aside all reason. Marik, at this point, seemed to just be taking it all without much of a response other than "ow" or "shit". Every now and then, a monster or trap was summoned in haste, though not thoroughly thought through or with a slight sense of confidence. The teen demolished all opposing cards and kept pushing through to the direct life points. If Jounouchi wasn't in such a rush to lay waste to his opponent, he would have noticed that Marik seemed unfamiliar with his own deck.

When the final point was lost, Marik fell to his knees with his eyes on the sky. "Thank you," he whispered under his breath, though still audible. The glowing eye was stripped off his skin as it began to become paler. The large violet cape fell around his body and contorted to a white jacket. Only the Pharaoh saw and recognized the purple eyes fade to blue before losing color completely. The 'possessed Kaiba' behind them chuckled before turning into a truer form that they all wanted later to deny. All they could see was the thrown back Kaiba, resting on his knees. The Pharaoh and Jounouchi ran to him, watching his final moments without hesitation. "K-Kaiba.." Jounouchi began, "I'm.. I'm so sorry. I didn't know. I didn't know. I swear I didn't know.."

"Don't be a pussy, Jounouchi. I'm ready for this. I've _been_ ready for this." He finally looked down at his locket, his hands trembling to grab it and bring it closer to his face. "Mokuba.." he whispered, "Don't fear the darkness.. anymore."

Jounouchi knelt to him, his arms trembling as they attempted to catch the body; but to their surprise, his death was quiet and motionless. The once, powerful and great Seto Kaiba... no one knew what to do with him. All heard the barely audible whisper of Mokuba.. but who could ever have the heart to tell him of his brother's death? "Dammit! ..... Damn you, Kaiba."

Rage. That was all the Pharaoh could think about. He was helpless - he felt it and he knew it. This is what Marik wanted him to feel. The revenge of the tomb-keeper was unexpected. Who could anticipate such wickedness?

_It's unfair._


	10. Chapter 10: Brothers

A/N: This is where my updating-all-at-once comes to an end. I highly doubt I'll make a regular habit out of updating my posts, but at least there's comfort in knowing this isn't a dead story (: Savor it.

* * *

**Chapter 10: Brothers**

Mokuba, who had just recently left the hanger in an attempt to find his brother, soon found his worst fear lying motionless in the sun. His mind was too clouded with astonishment and confusion to hear the "Oh shit"s and "Oh no, Mokuba, don't look"s. He dropped all previous thoughts of hurrying to leave the island for what was before him. His brother.. crumpled.. crumpled into a lifeless gaze. There was a god out there – pissing, pointing, and laughing at Mokuba. _No. It can't be!_

"NOOOOOO! SETO! NO!" The boy shrieked as he ran up to his brother. He immediately fell into the body and clasped his hands around him. "Seto..Seto.. Seto." He shooked, buried, nudged, even beat his head against Kaiba's chest. "Wake up, Seto.. Seto." He paused, looking up with snot dribbling down his chin into Seto Kaiba's glazed eyes. "WAKE UP!" He screamed, again.

They felt sorry for him. The poor boy was too concerned with his brother to not even care about his own physical well-being. The skin on his elbows were bleeding – the first layers of skin raw from the scrapes of concrete. Salty tears and snot glued his soft, black hair to face. If it wasn't for that, he still wouldn't be able to see past the wet spell of tears. No comfort could be brought to him.

For what seemed like hours, were only minutes. They watched him, soaking it in for their own gain to accept the passing of a childhood rival. What was just considered silly games was now turned into weapons and murder. _How?_ Weren't these just innocent games? Who _the fuck_ invited Shadow Games?

=== *** === *** ===

Once things calmed down, in their own way, they regrouped and discussed the next plan of action. Mokuba would leave, as Kaiba would have wanted him to and the body would be placed on board. While he was at it, Mokuba would send for help from the police. It would be disclosed to them as a break-in; a robber with a gun and did not like resistance. No one would believe a "Shadow Game" killed a bunch of adolescents.

A thought rushed at him; a simple thought that concerned his sister. "Shizuka," he began, "I want you to go with Mokuba."

"Whaaat?! Onii-chan, how could you even _consider_ that? You know I would never leave you!"

"That's.. why I want you to go. You have to understand – I love you. I don't want you to be around me anymore. If anything happened to you.."

"I understand how you feel. But that's exactly why I need to be with you! Don't you see? I am safe when I'm with you.. you're my big brother!"

He stood in silence with his head hung low. Defeat. He felt defeated. He was more familiar to reality than his sister. He knew his physical capabilities and that he couldn't protect her from the monsters. God forbid he slips up once. God forbid that day would be today.

"I can't let you. You are going to have to leave with Mokuba."

"But I trust you!"

"Yeah? Well I _don't_. There; I said it."

"Jounouchi…"

"It's for the best, Shizuka. I know it may sound cruel to you; but it's for your health. You're brother knows what's best for you."

"Pharaoh.. Brother.. how could you.. how could you decide that for me..?"

At least, _they_ understood. In the end, she would, too. Her cooperation was not completely necessary, but she was more of a liability at this point. Not to mention her safety was Jounouchi's top priority. "I'm sorry. But-"

"I'll go." Her tone was troubled and yet strangely obedient. The sadness overwhelmed her, and the thought that she might not see her big brother again was uprooting every emotion she could muster. She hid it well, though. She wanted to be tough for him – wanted to be strong. It was the least she could do.

Mokuba, on the other hand, couldn't give a damn if she came with him or not. In fact, he was more upset about the situation than anyone else. _At least she gets a say in it_.

"C'mon, we don't have all day." Snotty. Rude. Sour. _Let down_. His guard was up and once again: he was alone. "We don't have much time."

"Go", he said, but she was already walking towards the new CEO of Kaiba Corp. He watched her; every step she took was another nail beaten into his heart. He wasn't for sure of his fate –or anyone else, for that matter- but it felt like their last goodbye.

She turned back only once; once to see the forced smiles on her friends' faces. There was a slight glimpse of optimism knowing that Shizuka would be safe. Out of all of them, they felt that she didn't belong in this dark hour. She doesn't deserve this horror. None of them did, but maybe there was still a chance to make a difference.

"Hey… I love you."

"'Love you, too, Sis. Hang in there. "

She smiled, "You, too."

With that, the pair left through doubled doors and were out of sight. The gang knew where they were going – they knew that the short distance would be uninterrupted.


End file.
